Indian minister says Areva nuclear deal is close: Report

India's Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid speaks during a news conference in New Delhi on Jan 9, 2013. India and French group Areva are close to agreement on a contract for Areva to build a nuclear power station on the west coast of India, Mr Khurshid said in a newspaper interview on Friday, Jan 11, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

PARIS (AFP) - India and French group Areva are close to agreement on a contract for Areva to build a nuclear power station on the west coast of India, Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said in a newspaper interview on Friday.

The project is for two European pressurised reactors (EPR) at Jaitapur 400 km south of Mumbai.

The talks had reached a "very advanced stage", the minister told the Le Figaro newspaper.

"We have to settle the questions of safety raised by the tsunami in Japan and this has an effect on the unit price of energy produced," he said.